Chimney Rock may very well be one of the most photographed and advertised natural attractions in the mountains of North Carolina. The view of the American flag flying high above Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure from atop this rocky prominence is a staple of pretty much any magazine or brochure in the area. For over a hundred years the rock and the mountain it sits on had been in private ownership. About five years ago, however the site was put up for sale and the State of North Carolina took the opportunity to purchase it as a new State Park. This isn't your typical State Park, though. The state owns the land but a private company still own the facilities creating a curious partnership of public and private interests.

The downside to all this commercialization, and the reason it has taken me so long to visit the site is that the park tends to be fairly crowded and charges a fairly steep entrance fee ($15 per person in 2014). With so many trails in the area that offer free public access to peaks that offer far more impressive views, it seems almost comical to me that anyone would pay to climb a mountain in this region. Even so, I finally convinced myself that at least once I should go and see what all the fuss was about...especially now that it is a State Park. Discovering that the elevator (yes, they even installed an elevator to get people to the top!) was closed which would save me a few bucks, I decided the time was right to bite the bullet and go. My route would take me along every trail in the park. Starting from the meadows area just beyond the ticket booth I'd cover around 5 miles round trip and on my way visit 400' high Hickory Nut Falls, climb hundreds of steps past towering rock cliffs, top out at the aptly named Exclamation Point some 1,500 feet above the gorge, and of course visit Chimney Rock itself. This certainly wasn't a wilderness experience but the beauty of the site is undeniable. It was nice to visit once but, unless someone wants to pay for my ticket next time, it's likely to be a one-time experience. Come take a look around with me, free of charge...

After paying the rather steep $12 entrance fee I pulled off at 'The Meadows' area of the park for my first real good look at the mountian. The chimney itself can just barely be seen about halfway up the rock face to the right...

Most folks simply drive their way up as close as they can to the chimney as to shorten their walk. I opted to hike the Four Seasons Trail from the meadows, a mile long trail on which I was completely alone...

The heavy rains of last year caused a large rock slide to crash through the trail, closing it for much of the last year. Seeing the terrain up close I'm honestly surprised it doesn't happen more often...

Although I knew all I'd find were overpriced trinkets I wandered over to the Cliff Dwellers Gift Shop just to say I did it. It was pretty much what I expected. I was hoping for some kind of exhibit hall or interpretive room to provide some information on what has to be a fascinating natural history of the area, but no. It's kind of sad that after paying such a high fee for access there isn't even a decent museum at the park...

The Gneiss Cave isn't a conventional cave but rather a talus, or fallen rock, cave formed when a giant piece of the cliff face detached and slid downhill creating this cavern-like opening in the side of the mountain...

I was extremely frustrated to find that the portion of the Outcroppings Trail through the Grotto and Subway was closed for renovation. This was supposed to be one of the more unique stretches of trail in the park. I doubt I'll feel the need to pay another entrance fee to visit when its open, however...